PSN struggling to deal with huge mass of password
resets

Due to the ludicrous volume of PlayStation Network users trying to reset their passwords at once, Sony has had to temporarily cease the big PSN rollout and suspended services for a bit. 

"We’re currently experiencing an extremely heavy load of password resets, and so we recently had to turn off services for approximately 30 minutes to clear the queue," said Sony's Patrick Seybold. "As such, a large number of people are attempting to change their passwords at the same time, it’s taking longer than expected for all those emails to clear all of the ISPs.

"If you’ve requested your password reset, please give it a bit of time to reach your email. Thanks for your patience as we work to get everyone back online."

In other words, CALM DOWN EVERYBODY! We can't blame the hackers for this one. It's everybody's fault.

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Here's another Senran Kagura girl silhouette

Last time I posted one of these mysterious silhouettes from the coming 3DS title Senran Kagura: Portait of Girls, the results were pretty amazing. In case you haven't been following along, I'll catch you up. The game's developers are releasing just the outlines of some of the game's curvaceous enemies, and tasking their fans to fill in the blanks. Dtoid readers Scissors, WinterZero, MichMasteR, and M47R1X all threw their hats into the ring, and their illustrations were surprisingly provocative. I'm still deeply contemplating the potential validity of WinterZero's notion that Senran Kagura's busty female leads will be replaced with Dr. Robotnic look-a-likes,

Just like last time, the game's developers have gotten us started with their own interpretation of what this silhouette might represent. I laughed out loud at their drawing, and as such, I am sending them some home made cookies.

I'll do the same for you if you manage a similar feat.

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Super Meat Boy hand-made toys are good enough for
retail

Thanks to Tomopop, I know a thing or two about the custom toy scene. That's why I'm so shocked to see that these hand-made Super Meat Boy toys only cost $12 a piece. There are seven figures in all, each featuring varied levels of complexity (with Commander Video being the most simple, and Jill being the most detailed), but they are all crafted with a serious respect for the source material. It's rare to see customs this well made available at such an affordable price.

Lets hope that there are more of these toys to come. I'd love to see Dr. Fetus, The Kid, and the Pink Knight make the it to Set 3. Even better would be a line of Hitler Must Die toys, but I figure that might be asking too much.

 Voxelous! store [Etsy]

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The Tiny Bang Story

When an asteroid hits the fragile world of Tiny Planet, it breaks into pieces! Save the population of Tiny Planet in The Tiny Bang Story, a fun Hidden Object Adventure game. Explore different locations and solve numerous puzzles to fix the important machines needed to repair Tiny Planet. Dive into adventure and save the day in this exciting game.


Read The Full Article:
http://www.fenomen-games.com/the-tiny-bang-story.htm

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Pyramid Pays Slots II

Dive into Pyramid Pays Slots II! Win big while playing through different game modes and earning special achievements! Take on this exciting Egyptian themed slot game and play through different minigames and special bonus rounds. Master the Nefertiti Royal Reels and rack up as many points as you can!


Read The Full Article:
http://www.fenomen-games.com/pyramid-pays-slots-ii.htm

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Cave Story 3D features 2D sprites, NIS surprise

So far, it seems fans are fairly split on Cave Story 3D. Some of you are all about buying the game again, for its new 3D display and promise of new areas, enemies, modes, and features. Others are so turned by the game's new visuals that they are hesitant to pledge their support.

Personally, I take a little bit from column A and a little bit from column B. I like the game's new 3D look, but I love the classic Cave Story sprites more. That's why I'm so excited to hear that the game will offer a mode that swaps out the polygon-based character models for 2D sprites. I imagine this mode will look something like the Prinny PSP games, or like Fez, except without Fez's pseudo-sprite based backgrounds. Sounds good to me!

We've also got word that the game will feature some kind of NIS-related Easter Egg, and a boatload of new art and screens, so check 'em out and tell me what you think.

Cave Story 3D Features 2D/3D Switchable Models [NintendoWorldReport]

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MetalStorm: Online Review (iPhone, iPad)

Gamezebo Rating:

The iPhone is one of those gadgets that has a ton of bullet points: great graphical and sound abilities, gyroscope, touch screen, always online and so forth. Most games in the App Store take advantage of some of these features, but rarely does a game nail just about every single aspect of the system in a single shot. MetalStorm: Online manages to do this, and it happens to also be one heck of a lot of fun to play too.

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Weekend Mobile roundup: AFK edition

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Because I've been away for most of the weekend to sightsee the hookers in Amsterdam with Dale North and Dtoider Takeshi, this weekend edition of the mobile roundup is a bit shorter than usual. Short like the terrifying blue-painted midget Smurfette that was looking to score in the Red Light District.

Retinas were burned, but some of these games are pretty good! And apparently 101-in-1 Games (iPhone, $0.99; Android, free?) now has 121 games after an update, reducing it to one of the more ridiculous names for a mobile game to date. It looks like it only has 101 games on Android though. Oh well.

Weekend highlights:

Catch The Candy (iPhone, $0.99; iPad, $0.99)

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Catch The Candy shares some face value simularities with Cut The Rope, in that it's a puzzle game where you are a cute critter who needs to get his candy in order to complete a level. But that's also where the simularities end.

The game's creature has an extendable arm that he can use to attach to certain materials and then draw himself in. It works a bit like a retractable hook that you can use to sling yourself to sugary success. You can also use your arm to hit objects away, or to grab and reign yourself in over the ground. The puzzles get pretty creative and there's a soundtrack that is bound o get stuck in your head for days after. Especially because it loops every 40 seconds or so.

While many levels tell a cute little story in the way they are built -- like starting next to a girl critter on a park bench under the romantic moonlight, only to leave her behind to find the candy -- others can be a matter of having luck with the controls.

Especially the levels where you have to climb over trees or "hills" can get annoying, because it's easy to slide back down once you've grabbed yourself to the top of a tree or object. And when there is nothing else to grab hold of but the top of a tree, you end up trying to propel yourself over the top, over and over again. All the while, highscores are measured in the amount of "arm whips" you require to complete a level. It doens't help that you tend to touch where you want to attach yourself to, but doing so obscures some of the level by your finger.

Some of the levels do get smart with the physics system though, like requiring you to hit a cannonball out of a cannon so it lands behind the candy and makes it drop down a ledge. Other levels make you swing yourself into a basketball net three times, play a game of pool, or use a crate and a seesaw to launch yourself upwards. Every level is different from the last one and, a few odd exceptions involving ledges or trees notwithstanding, they are pretty fun to play through.

Then again, you're not likely to go back and play them again for a higher score. Hopefully some additional levels will go crazy with the more physics-based puzzle approaches, as Catch The Candy is the most fun to play in those type of levels. It's a creative little game that plenty of people will enjoy, but more and harder levels that draw from its strengths would really help this game.

Mechanic Panic (iPhone, free)

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I mentioned Mechanic Panic a few weeks back when it got its major update, but the game is now free! It's a great little game and very addictive, so you should give it a try. The update added some upgradable skills which add to the replayability factor, and.. it's free.

Stem Stumper (iPhone, $0.99 -- down from $1.99)

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Another game I mentioned under the "Good cause" section before, Stem Stumper is now only $0.99 until May 21st for a White Cane Safety promotion week. As the game is especially made for the blind, and does this successfully with full support for blind and visually impaired people. If you know someone who can't see and still likes to play games, let him or her play this game for a change.

Tilt to Live (iPhone, $2.99, Lite; iPad, $0.99 -- down from $4.99)

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Tilt to Live HD for the iPad is on sale until the end of Sunday, which might be worth checking out. The game is free with an in-app purchase for the full version, but 80% off is pretty decent if you were in need of some cheap iPad stuff to play around with. Too bad the iPhone version isn't on sale too.

Spoing (iPhone, $0.99; iPad, $1.99)


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I can't stand this type of game myself, but Spoing looks fun enough for fans of platform creation games. It also appears to have a giant pig bat enemy in one of the screens, so that's a plus.


Weekly news highlights:

• Army of Darkness iOS game is on the way
• Zen Pinball games coming to Tegra-powered Android phones!
• PSOne games sell badly on the Xperia Play, but Sony is not worried

That's it for this weekend. If you know of a ridiculous or cool new Android or iOS game, hit up Jim Sterling or myself on Twitter. Or post it in the comments!

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Hands-on: Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten

Holy sh*tballs, this game is crazy.

How do I even begin to describe how insanely complicated, yet ridiculously awesome Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten appears to be? Explosions, demons, monsters, penguins, pirates, massive parties, combo attacks, micro-customization, level grinding, random battles -- does it ever end?! The answer is no!

If you can dream it, it is possible. Probably. That’s Disgaea 4, dood!

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten (PlayStation 3)
Developer: NIS
Publisher: NIS
To be released: September 2011

To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about the series aside from what I picked up at the NIS Spring Event. It has something to do with hell, right? And cute anime characters with wings or something?

Luckily, Steve Carlton, Localization Coordinator at NIS, was able to clear up the plotline for us while schooling me on what’s up with the finer details of the game (and trust me, there are plenty). According to Carlton, the Disgaea games typically involve the crazy hijinks of the Netherworld (or Hell) and the goings on within.

This time around, you begin the game as Valvatorez, previously a powerful tyrant overlord who gains his vampirish powers by ingesting human blood. However, after making a promise with a human girl to never to drink the blood of humans again, he loses his powers and drops to the lowest level of Hades, the Netherworld Prison.

There, Valvatorez is in charge of training and disciplining Prinnies (the human souls of corrupt criminals and thieves who, after being transformed into comical penguin-like characters, must be trained to both act and speak a certain way in order to atone for their sins).

Suddenly, problems! The demons in charge of scaring humans into being good aren’t doing their job. The Netherworld, affected by their slacking, is churning out far too many Prinnies, and Hell just can’t handle the overpopulated upkeep. Oh no! The President of Hell, in an attempt to keep the peace, decides to exterminate all of the Prinnies in one fell swoop.

This prompts Valvatorez -- who has promised to keep the Prinnies safe -- to launch an anti-government campaign going against the laws of the Netherworld in order to overthrow the President and discipline everyone on the proper ways to run Hell. Mischief ensues!

After getting a chance to test out the game myself, the first thing I noticed was the wacky and over-enthusiastic voice acting (think DeathSpank or a silly infomercial). It’s interesting that they chose a comedic tone for a game that definitely could have been a bit on the darker side.

While taking my sweet time enjoying the introduction and studying the cute anime character sprites, some huffy journalist from some media site that’s not Destructoid tapped me on the shoulder and, in an irritated tone, asked if I was playing the game or not. Uhm, obviously, lady. Do you not see the PS3 controller in my hand? I politely told her that, yes, I am playing the game, and I also happen to be taking notes (with a wave of my iPhone in her face). She backed off (das wut I thought, son!) and left me to my gaming.

Feeling a bit flustered (dang, people be pushy up in this bizz), I attempted to skip through the rest of the intro dialogue and found that it was fairly slow going. For one, you can’t really just mash X and fly through the script. Pressing start over and over also doesn’t seem to do much in the way of speeding things along.

Glancing behind me, I could see the line growing and the amount of people watching my screen filling up. Oh, the pressure! Fortunately, Hamza “CTZ” Aziz was there to pat me on the shoulder and kindly say, “Screw them. They can wait their turn. You’re fine.” Destructoid FTW.

After I finally reached a playable part of the game (they start Valvatorez off in his base of operations, sort of like a camp site), I was pleased with how quickly and smoothly I could navigate the map. Swiveling the left analog stick allowed me to steer Valvatorez through the base camp, while tapping L1 or R1 rotated my view by 90 degrees in whatever direction I chose. I could also zoom in or out to three different angles by holding square and again tapping the front left or right trigger buttons.

Confusion followed when I realized I had no idea what I was doing or where I was supposed to go. There weren’t exactly any indicators saying, “S’cuse me, dumbass. Yer s’pose ta do this or talk ta this person right hurr.” Maybe this is due to me hurriedly skipping through the dialogue? Though I am something of a speed-reader anyways, so that probably wasn’t it.

It took me a bit of talking to random NPCs littered throughout my base (who, according to Carlton, merely serve to supplement the storyline) before I managed to discover a glowing character with pigtails who apparently launches strategy battles for me.

I first played through a tutorial that discussed the basic controls of battling. Then, feeling like a smarty-pants, I attempted to execute the button commands I had just learned. But wait, what was happening? Why isn’t X doing what it’s supposed to do, and why isn’t Circle behaving?!

Again, maybe this is due to me rushing through the tutorial (though I swear I was paying attention to what does what), or perhaps due to the fact that this is a Japanese-to-English port, and they are still working on the translations for correct button mapping. Either way, it was simple enough to figure out with a little trial and error.

The battle configuration was easy to understand and is fairly similar to every other strategy game I’ve played. I deployed fighters, clerics, etc by selecting my base panel (this glowing blue tile on the floor) and deciding on which characters I wanted to send into battle, then positioning them across the grid within their range of movement. A maximum of ten characters from your party can be on the field at any time, while your base panel holds the rest of your deployable stock.

Eager to see my army in action, I quickly stationed my characters and executed their attacks, surprised when other minions I happened to place nearby joined in on the attacks for massive collaborative combos! The animations were so nuts that I can’t even really describe to you what it was that I saw (view the trailer for an idea), but I did get a chance to ask Steve Carlton for more details.

“The multi-character attacks are random, but there are ways to increase the percentage of them occurring. The way you set up your government across the field affects how each person teams up with one another,” Carlton states. Massive character combo attacks with a huge personal army of minions to deploy? Color me intrigued.

Unfortunately I didn’t have time to play through as much of the game as I would have liked, and from a follow-up interview with Steve Carlton, it turns out that I’ve only barely scratched the surface of Disgaea 4. The official trailer, for example, only touches on a few of the awesome features in the game -- like fully customizable maps, monsters that transform into weapons, the ability to log onto the Network and pirate characters from your friends and then discipline them into obedience, etc.

Carlton estimates that the game will take maybe 40 hours to wrap up if the player just sticks to the main storyline with a dry run. As is the case with most complicated JRPGs, all of the side quests, mini games, and micro-customization features could possibly log you at anywhere from 200 - 300 hours to fully complete.

A few more cool things you can expect from Disgaea 4 include: Weapon Mastery on anything from knuckles to swords (leveling up your weapons reveals unlockable skills and ultimate attacks which you can then also level up in order to become as powerful as possible -- holy crap); tons of monsters to both defeat, capture, and train into recruits for your already massive army; ways to level up your items or characters that involve battling down through different layers of maps within those characters or items; and defeating matches taking place inside of your minions or weapons themselves. PHEW!

I’m sure I could go on forever about the incredible depth of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten and the overwhelming strategy nuances it boasts, but ultimately, it comes down to the players to explore these features themselves.

With a release date set for September 2011 and a price point at $49.99 ($59.99 for the Premium Edition), it sounds like NIS has plenty of time to fine tune the otherwise tongue-tying features of the game for its American audiences.

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Mash Tactics + 321 GoCast + Also Talks, 6 hour
special

Join us now for a special six hour show extravaganza in celebration of 6,000 followers on Justin.Tv/Destructoid. Mash Tactics, 321 GoCast, and Also Talks will be joining forces (and time slots) for one giant chunk of awesomeness. We will also be celebrating the reanimation of the recently departed, PlayStation Network. In true A.D.D fashion, we will be playing community picks, so whatever games you want to see. If you have yet to check out the official Destructoid channel on Justin Tv, this is a great opportunity to meet the Chill Bros and see our game catalog.

[Join us for Mash Tactics every weekday at 4PM PST on Justin.Tv/Destructoid to watch live streams of new game releases and crazy antics with industry guests. Come join us on the chat and see what all the fuss is about!]

Watch live video from Destructoid on Justin.tv Can't see the video? Click here

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